This holiday is not just about pub-crawls, shamrock shakes, green beer and wearing green. It is about celebrating the loving and passionate people of Ireland and the powerful principles they live by each day.

More than any other couple we've ever interviewed, Ron and Mariah embody the principle that when two hearts are separated, all difficulties can seem insurmountable, but when they are united as one, nothing is impossible.

Evidence shows that we think we're superior to others in every domain: We believe we're smarter, more attractive, more likable, and more skilled at a wide range of tasks, from math to leadership. For a long time, I hoped these narcissistic tendencies wouldn't extend to the domain of giving and helping. I was wrong.

In my experience, every time there's a tragedy, or even a just calamity, people almost always come forth in a generous and caring way. Systems may fail, but when people have the opportunity to help, they almost always do it. So why are we always surprised?

The greatest strength that we possess does not come from money, from fame, from influence, from glory, or from any of the trappings of power that most of us spend vast amounts of time and energy pursuing.

Whether grieving the loss of our own life, or another's, we each have the capacity to see past the veils of separation. If our hearts are willing, grieving becomes the gateway to loving awareness, the entry into our own awakened nature.

This is the story omitted in Tampa, in Charlotte. However far we stray from any perfect union, there is something true that must be counted. Our generosity, however inadequate, is the best of who we are.